Support for pipes, handrails, or other like objects



Jan. 26, 1937. J BLUNT I 2,068,902

SUPPORT FOR PIPES, HANDRAILS, OR OTHER LIKE OBJ-ECTS Filed Aug. 16, 1955INVENTOR James G. B/unT Q Gi MU AT ORNEY Patented Jan. 26, 1937 UNITEDSTATES SUPPORT FOR PIPES, I-IANDRAILS, OR OTHER LIKE OBJECTS James G.Blunt, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to American Locomotive Company, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 16, 1935,Serial No. 36,466

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a support for a pipe, hand rail or other likeobject.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a support for theforegoing purposes and principally for supporting the hand rails usuallyemployed at the sides of a locomotive wherein the rail or other objectis secured to the support by clamp-like securing means that is easilyoperated to rel-ease the object, said means being permanently connectedwith the body of the support so that there is no chance of mislaying orlosing the object-securing means when it is freed from itsobject-securing position.

Further objects are the provision, in a support of the foregoingcharacteristics, of means for holding the object-securing means in itssecuring position; automatic means for operating said holding means tocause said holding means to effect said holding of said object-securingmeans; and manually operated means for releasing said holding means tothereby free said object-securing means.

A further object is to provide, in a support of the characteristicsaforementioned, means for rigidly holding the object-securing means inits object-securing position and simultaneously urging saidobject-securing means in a direction toward said object whereby thesecuring means will exert holding pressure upon the object, to the endthat a plurality of similar supports may be employed to support a pipe,hand rail or other like object at various points along its length, eachsupport similarly holding the object in the manner aforedescribed eventhough the object at certain of said points of holding presents slightvariations in size or contour.

Other objects of and advantages achieved by this invention will beapparent from the following description when considered in connectionwith the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodimentof the invention.

In the accompanying drawing, where like references indicate similarparts throughout, Figure 1 is an elevation, which, for convenience, maybe considered a side elevation, of the support of the present inventionwith its parts in objectsecuring position, the object secured beingindicated in 'dot and dash lines; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of thesupport shown in Fig. 1, the object being shown fragmentally in dot anddash lines; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line III-III of Fig. 4 ofthe support shown in Fig. 1 showing the clamp-like securing means open,that is to say released or freed from its object-securing position; Fig.4 is a section taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan of thesupport shown in Fig. 1; and Figs. 6 and '7 are, respectively, side andrear views of the clamp-like securing means shown in the various figuresfor securing the object in place.

The support of the present invention, as pre viously stated, is forholding pipes, hand rails or other like objects but primarily forholding the hand rails usually employed on the opposite sides of railwaylocomotives. The support comprises 10 a body 1 having a threaded orifice2 at its base 3 which provides convenient, means for securing thesupport where desired, as for instance to the side of a locomotiveboiler, by means of a bolt, stud or other fastening (not shown) in theusual 15 manner. Above the base 3 the body is hollow providing a chamber4 open at the end opposite the base 3. 1

At the top of the body is carried object-engaging means, which, in thepresent instance. is 20 exemplified as comprising two oppositelydisposed jaws. 5 and. 6 carried respectively at the front and rear ofthe body upper face 1,, therespective inner faces 8 and 9 of the jawsbeing slightly converging toward the center of the face 7, thereby 25providing with the face 1 a groove l0 having tapering side walls. Inthis groove the object, as for instance the locomotive hand rail H, isdisposed with its periphery in engagement with the faces 8 and 9 andpreferably somewhat spaced 30 from the face I. The object I l is thussupported in wedge-tight engagement with the jaws 5 and 6, which therebyprovide two points of contact of the object with the body. A third pointof contact, suitably disposed outwardly beyond the said 35 two points ofcontact, is all that is further necessary to secure the object firmly inplace. This construction presents a preferred form of engagement, butthe invention is not restricted to such form. As a matter of fact, athree-point 4o engagement, in support of the present type, is not newand an instance thereof will be found in Patent No. 1,428,746, grantedto me September 12, 1922, the construction of which patent the presentinvention is an improvement thereover, as will 45 presently appear. Inthe present instance, the said third point of engagement is provided bythe object-securing means, shown in the present instance as ahook-shaped clamp 12 having a concave inner wall 13 which is so shapedas to structed to make it best suited for an object of particularcross-sectional dimensions. But, as will be presently obvious, thepresent support is, within certain limits, flexible in the sense that itwill support and suitably secure objects of slightly varying sizes orcontours. This presents an advantage in that a plurality of similarsupports may be employed to support, for instance, a hand rail of alocomotive which presents at the various points of support slightlyvarying sizes or surface irregularities. This is made possible by thepar ticular construction of the support, which is as follows:

The rear of the body has a central opening l5 extending from theexterior to the chamber 4 and extending from the base 3 to and throughthe jaw 6 and extending from the exterior of the jaw 6 at the rear tothe groove [0. The clamp I2 is disposed through this opening [5 with itsend I6, which is opposite the point or part l4, housed within thechamber 4. This chamber provides of the body four defining walls,namely, a front wall IT, a rear wall [8, and side walls 19 and 20. Theend N5 of the clamp is provided with a transverse orifice 2|, andorifices 22 and 23 are provided through the respective side walls l9 and29 in line with the orifice 2|. A hub 24. is formed on the clamp I2 withits orifice in line with the orifice 2|, the hub extending from theclamp toward the wall 29 within the chamber 4.

A pin 25 extends through the orifice of the hub 24 and the orifices 2!,22 and 23, and is thereby carried by the body I and pivotally supportsthe clamp 12. The pin 25 is mounted in the orifices 22 and 23 to provideaxial movement for the pin, and the clamp I2 is mounted on the pin tomove axially therewith and to swing about the axis thereof, butpreferably independently of the pin, it not being necessary that the pinshould rotate.

To provide for the axial movement of the pin and clamp, the end portionof the pin, passing through the orifice 22, is enlarged (the orifice 22being made correspondingly large) to provide a head 26 slidable withinthe orifice 22 and providing a shoulder 21 between the head 26 and theremaining portion of the pin, against which the clamp l2 bears. Thisshoulder serves to effect axial movement of the clamp toward the wall29, as will later appear, and furthermore prevents the pin from beingdislodged by movement in a direction toward the wall 29. A cotter pin 28is secured in the end of the pin 25 opposite the head 26, which extendsbeyond the body, to prevent dislodgement of the pin 25 by movement inthe direction toward the wall H), the cotter pin 28 being suitablypositioned to permit the required extent of axial movement of the pin25. A hellcal spring 29 is mounted on the hub 2 bearing at one of itsends against the clamp l2 and at its opposite end against the wall 29.When the clamp has been swung to closed position it will then be free tobe moved axially toward the wall 19, and the spring 29, which is,previous to this axial movement, under compression, will automaticallyoperate to so move the clamp axially toward the wall Hi to its finalobject-securing position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The pin 25, due toits shoulder engagement with the clamp I2, is moved by the clampcorrespondingly to final clamp-securing position (unless the pin happensto be in such position at this time, as might obviously be the case asthere is nothing to prevent the pin from independently moving in thisdirection until stopped by the cotter pin 28) When the clamp is in itsaxially moved position toward the wall 20, the head 26 preferablyprojects slightly beyond the body, as shown in Fig. 4, and when theclamp I2 is in its opposite axial position, the head 26 protrudes fromthe body an additional amount, as shown in Fig. 2, equal to the amountof the axial movement of the clamp required to bring it to its finalobject-securing position, the cotter pin 28, by engaging the wall 26,stopping any further movement of the pin in said direction. Theprotruding portion of the head 26, as shown in Fig. 2, provides a readymeans for manually moving the pin 25 and clamp I2, against the tensionof the spring 29, from the position shown in Fig. 2 to its positiontoward the wall 20. This may be accomplished by pushing the pin axiallyfrom the head end or preferably by striking the pin at the outer end ofthe head a blow with a hammer. When the clamp has been moved to thisposition, it is free to be swung open or in object-releasing position,as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

It will thus be seen that the clamp has both swinging and axialmovements, but it should be here noted, for reasons that will presentlyappear, that the clamp may be swung to open and closed positions onlywhen it has been axially moved to a definite position toward the wall 29and that it can be moved axially only when it is in its closed position.

The clamp [2, as previously stated, is pivotally mounted on the pin 25.It comprises an arm extending from the pin and including the inner walll3, suitably concaved to encircle part of the object H, and containingthe point or part 14 disposed for engaging the object II. The clamp l2preferably is in the form of a lever having a fulcrum at the axis of thepin 25 and comprises the arm just referred to and indicated by the line.r:c passing through said axis and the point or part i4, and a secondarm extending from said fulcrum rearwardly and indicated by the line yypassing through the said axis and the point or part 30. The clamp isprovided with a noselike member 3! on which the point or part 30 islocated. The face of this nose-like member extends from the rear face ofthe clamp, as a continuation thereof, and then curves toward thefulcrum, to provide at the curved portion a face 32 which is inclined orbeveled transversely of the clamp from the side nearest the wall 20 tothe opposite side in a direction approaching the head 26 of the pin. Alug 33 projects from the inner face of the wall 19 and has a beveled orinclined face 34 the counterpart of the beveled or inclined face 32 forengagement thereby. The face 34 is disposed on the lug 33 at a positionto be opposed to the face 32 to be engaged thereby and to coacttherewith when the clamp [2 has been swung to its closed position, atwhich time the spring 29 automatically acts to move the clamp l2 towardthe wall l9. This movement simultaneously brings the face 32 intoengagement with the counterpart face 34, which engagement operates tohold the clamp 12 in its object-securing position (which it has beenbrought to), and the spring 29, by its continual thrust action on theclamp [2, produces a wedging action between the members having the faces32 and 34 which action operates to urge the clamp 12 to swing toward theobject II to produce a pressure of the clamp at the; point or part I4thereof, against the object Now describing further the structuralcharacteristics previously mentioned:-The lug 33 and nose-like member 3|are so shaped, that, when the clamp is in its axially moved positiontoward the wall 20 and in its swung-open position, the member or lug 33will block or intercept the noselike member 3!, thereby preventing axialmovement of the clamp toward the wall it. Therefore when the clamp is inthis axial position it must first be swung to closed position before the-spring can operate to automatically move the clamp axially to itsposition toward the wall 49, shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Likewise when theclamp has been moved axially to its position near the wall l9 it must,at that time, be in its closed position as has just been stated, and onaccount of the then engagement between the faces 32 and 34 the clamp isheld in this closed position and cannot be swung to open position untilit has been manually moved axially toward the wall 2b, as alreadydescribed.

It will thus be seen that the support of the present invention issimple, compact and sturdy in construction, simple and sure inoperation, adaptable for slightly varying sizes of objects to be securedthereby, cheap in maintenance, and free from danger of loss of parts.

In view of the foregoing description it is believed that the operationof the support is obvious without further detailed elaboration here, itonly being desirable to repeat here that when the object is to beremoved, the clamp is axially moved manually from its object-securingposition and then swung to open position whereupon the object is free tobe removed (it being understood that the clamps of all of the supportsholding the object are likewise open). To secure an object to thesupport all that is necessary is to place the object in the groove inwedging engagement with the side walls thereof, the clamp being then inopen position, and to then swing the clamp to closed position, whereuponthe spring automatically acts to axially move the clamp toobject-securing position, during which movement the members having thecoacting inclined faces are brought to engagement one with the other,thereby holding the clamp in object-securing position. Furthermore, bythe continued action of the spring, the wedging members exert a wedgingaction tending to urge the clamp toward the supported object to therebyproduce a pressure of the clamp upon the object at its point ofengagement therewith.

While there has been hereinbefore described an approved embodiment ofthis invention, it will be understood that many and various changes andmodifications in form, arrangement of parts and details of constructionthereof may be made it without departing from the spirit of theinvention and that all such changes and modifications as fall within thescope of the appended claims are contemplated as a part of thisinvention.

The invention claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A support for a pipe, hand rail or other like object comprising abody; means carried by said body adapted for engagement with saidobject;

a pivot pin carried by said body; a clamp for securing said object inits engaged position carried by said pin for pivotal and longitudinalmovements relative to the axis of said pin whereby, by said pivotalmovement, said clamp is adapted to be swung to its securing position;and means perable by said longitudinal movement of said clamp forholding said clamp in its securing position.

2. A support for a pipe, hand rail or other like object comprising abody; means carried by said body adapted for engagement with saidobject; a pivot pin carried by said body; a clamp for securing saidobject in its engaged position carried by said pin for pivotal andlongitudinal movements relative to the axis of said pin whereby, by saidpivotal movement, said clamp is adapted to be swung to its securingposition; and means operable by said longitudinal movement of said clampfor holding said clamp in its securing position, said means having twomembers, one of which being carried by said clamp and the other of whichbeing carried by said body, said members having coacting faces adaptedto effect said holding by relative movement therebetween during saidlongitudinal movement of said clamp.

3. A support for a pipe, band rail or other like object comprising abody; means carried by said body adapted for engagement with saidobject; an axially movable pin carried by said body; a lever having apair of arms, one of said arms being adapted for securing said object inits engaged position, said lever being carried by said pin to moveaxially therewith and to swing relative to the axis thereof whereby saidsecuring arm will swing to its said securing position; and lever holdingmeans comprising two members, one of which members being carried by theother of said lever arms and the other of which members being carried bysaid body, and a spring for axially moving said pin, lever and saidmember carried there by in one direction whereby said member carried bysaid lever will engage said other member to hold said securing arm inits said securing position, said pin being adapted to be manually movedin the opposite axial direction to thereby move said lever against thetension of said spring to free said lever.

4. A support for a pipe, hand rail or other like object comprising abody; means carried by said body adapted for engagement with saidobject; a pivot pin carried by said body; a clamp for securing saidobject in its engaged position carried by said pin for pivotal andlongitudinal movements relative to the axis of said pin whereby, by saidpivotal movement, said clamp is adapted to be swung to its securingposition; and means having two members with faces adapted to coact toproduce a wedging force for pressing said clamp against said object whensaid clamp is moved longitudinally, and a spring for operating saidmembers to produce said coaction.

JAMES G. BLUNT.

